Improvement in steam-generators



UNITED STATES PATENT OEETcE.v

ELIJAH VESTON, OF BUFFALO, NEV YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM-GENERATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 89,258, (lated April20, 1869.

To all lwhom it 'may concern Be it known that I, ELIJAH WESTON, ofBuffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Generators; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full and exact description thereof,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, part in section.Fig. 2 is an end View, part in section. Fig. 8 is an inside view of thelire-door, showing my improvements.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

My improvements are for the purpose of consuming the gas and smokeengendered by bituminous and anthracite coals used in locomotive andother boilers and the saving of fuel; and my invention consists in theconstruction and extension of the heating-surface by the lengthening ofthe crown-sheet, and

providing a gas-combustion chamber in con! nection with the fire-box;also, in placing in the water-space a partition-sheet, for the purposeof getting a more perfect circulation 5 also, in the construction ofthefire-door, all to be hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings, A represents the case of the fire-box of alocomotive-boiler; B, the boiler;` C, the steam-dome, and D the re-boxitself'. E indicates the gas-combustion chamber, which is formed by atriangular partition, F, one side, a, making the back of the lire-box,and the other side, b, making the front of said chamrber, and leaving aspace, (shown at G,) which sets over the axle of the forward wheels. Thesides of the fire-box, which extend to the tubeplate K, form, a-lso, thesides of the combustion-chamber. This partition F, with its walls a andb, is shaped like the letter V inverted, the apex forming a ridge, butleaving a space between it and the crown-sheet H. These walls a and bare made hollow, forming the usual water-space.

The are several advantages combined in this construction: First, byseparating the tire-box from the tube-plate it forms acombustionchamber, where the smoke and gases engenderedby the coal areconsumed,instead, as in ordinary locomotive-boilers, of escaping throughthe flues and smoke-stacks, the waste, disadvantages, and annoyance ofwhich are too well known to require comment. It also allows thelengthening of the crown-sheet, and consequent increase ofheating-surface, and, by securing a better combustion, admits of theshortening of the tubes, which will effect a saving in fuel and of theexpense of building engineboilers.

Another and important advantage is, that instead of the flame, smoke,gas, and air, as is common, passing at once, in their crude and expandedstate, into the boiler-lues they impact against the wall a and areforced up into a small compass, making a compact and intense iiame inthe contracted space between the ridge of the partition F and thecrownsheet H. Passing thence into the combustionchamber E thecombustible portions of the gas and smoke are consumed, and the pureintensified dame alone enters into the boiler-fines fromA thecombustion-chamber.

Owing to the large increase of space and the combination of a portion ofthe gases there will always be a partial vacuum in the chamber E, andtherefore the llame, gases, and smoke, instead of passing directly intothe boilertubes, will descend and revolve around in the course indicatedby arrows. This downward draft is produced by the abrupt enlargement ofspace formed by the combustion-chamber, the area being greater than thatof the tubes, by which the smoke and gases are allowed to suddenlyexpand after passing the contracted throat above the bridge, and, beingrelieved from pressure, they revolve therein, having ample space tocirculate, and abrding them time to ignite before passing into the tubesand out of the smoke-stack. A slide, or its equivalent, may be placed inthe bottom of this combustion-chamber E, in order to let out any dbristhat may accumulate there. I also introduce a series of pipes, m, forthe admission of air, heated to a suitable temperature, into thecombustion-chamber, at any suitable point, for the purpose of ignitingand supporting the combustion of the smoke and gases.

I I' represent two partitions, placed inside the water-space on eachside of the fire-box D, and extending from end to end of the same,including the sides ofthe combustion-chamber, which has the samewater-space as the fire-box.

These partitions are made of thin sheets of metal, held in position bystay-bolts passing through the outside shell, the partition, and 'intothe nre-box. They are curved at the top, and do not come quite to thebottom of the water-space, leaving a passage clear for the water to iiowunder. They are preferably arranged closer to the fire-box than to theoutside shell, the object of which will be presently explained.

Iin troduce these partitions and thus arrange them to produce a specialadvantage, which is a more perfect circulation of the water than isobtained by the present system.

Heat being greatest next the tire-box plate D, while the water next theshell-plate A remains of lower temperature, it follows that the steam ismostly generated from the water in contact with the ire-box D, fromwhence it ascends to the top of the crown-sheet. By placing this thinmetal sheet I a short distance from the fire-box, and leaving a widerspace next the shell, it separates the water and keeps that between itand the hre-box at a constant steam-producing heat, consequently makingsteam much faster than by the ordin ary method. As this steam risesthe-water follows it, assisted by the current produced by the steambubbling through, and the water in space 'i' i is pressed down by itsown weight and iiows under the partitions I I', taking the place of thatjust made into steam. Thus a constant circulation is maintained in thedirection indicated by arrows.

J represents the fire-door, having the usual slide d on its outside. Onthe inside I arrange a fine-wire screen or sieve, c, through which thecold air is admitted in iine spraysor jets, so that the oxygen will moreeasily and quickly separate and be consumed. To further aid in producingthis effect, I construct on the inside of the projecting part of thefire-door, and over this wire screen, a series of bars, e f g h, fourpreferably, as shown in the drawing, (more or less will be used if founddesirable,)

against which, while in a highly-heated state, the small jets of airimpinge, breaking the force of the currents as it is admitted throughthe graduated slide cof thewire screen. These bars are placed atdifferent intervals of space or distances apart, the space between e andf being, say, one inch, the space between fand q two inches, and betweeng and h three inches. The object and special advantage of thus placingthem is to admit the greatest amount of air at the bottom, nearer the reitself, which experience has demonstrated is to give the best results.

In this arrangement of a combustion-chamber I believe that I have foundthe right way of utilizing the heat and consuming the gases and smoke.In the placing of the partitions in the water-spaces I believe that thetrue method for a perfect circulation is produced. In my devicesattached to the fire-door I also believe that the correct principle ofadmitting air into the fire for the ignition of gases will be found;therefore What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

1. The combustion-chamberE, formed bythe partition Il, having walls a band outside space G, in combination with the lire-box D, eX- tendedcrown-sheet H, arranged substantially as herein specified.

2. The partitions I I', in combination with the ire-box D and boiler Bof a locomotive, or other boiler, arranged substantially as herein setforth.

3. The wire sieve or screen c and bars c fg h, arranged with referenceto the fire-door of a boiler, as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ELIJAH WESTON.

YVitnesses:

J. R. DRAKE, ALBERT Hnien'r.

